Moving to Italy from Romania (mutarea în Italia)
Quick answer
Romanian citizens are EU citizens, so they need no visa and no permesso di soggiorno to live in Italy. Stays beyond 90 days require iscrizione anagrafica (residence registration) at the comune, proving work, study or sufficient resources plus health cover. Romanian civil-status documents need no Apostille or translation if issued on the EU multilingual standard form.
Romanians are the largest foreign community in Italy — just over a million people. As an EU citizen you have freedom of movement: no visa, no consulate, no permesso di soggiorno, and no 8-working-day deadline. What you do have is a 90-day mark, after which you must register your residence, and a set of practical steps (codice fiscale, bank, utilities, health card) that everyone still has to do.
- ✓No visa, no permesso — but iscrizione anagrafica after 90 days
- ✓Your Romanian documents need no Apostille (Regulation (EU) 2016/1191)
- ✓Codice fiscale, tessera sanitaria and the utilities, in order
Frequently asked questions
Do Romanians need a visa or permesso di soggiorno for Italy?+
No. Romania has been an EU member since 2007, so Romanian citizens have freedom of movement and need neither a visa nor a permesso di soggiorno to live in Italy. You can enter with a valid national ID card. The 8-working-day permesso deadline that applies to non-EU arrivals does not apply to you at all.
How long can a Romanian stay in Italy without registering?+
Up to 90 days with no formalities. Beyond 90 days you are required to apply for iscrizione anagrafica (registration in the resident population register) at the Anagrafe of your comune. You show a valid ID, proof of your situation — employment, self-employment, study, or sufficient resources plus health cover — and an address.
Do Romanian documents need an Apostille to be used in Italy?+
Generally no, and this saves real time and money. Under Regulation (EU) 2016/1191, in force since February 2019, public documents such as birth, marriage and criminal-record certificates issued in one EU country are exempt from legalization in another. Ask the Romanian issuing authority for the multilingual standard form (formular standard multilingv) attached to the certificate, and the Italian comune should accept it without an Apostille and without a sworn translation.
How do Romanians get healthcare in Italy?+
Before you register your residenza, your Romanian EHIC (cardul european de asigurări sociale de sănătate) covers medically necessary care. Once you complete the iscrizione anagrafica and meet the conditions, you enrol in the Italian national health service (SSN) and receive a tessera sanitaria, which also doubles as your codice fiscale card.
Do Romanians need a codice fiscale in Italy?+
Yes, and it is the first thing to get. The codice fiscale is Italy's tax code and it is required to sign a lease, open a bank account, get a phone contract, start a job, or put the electricity in your name. It is free, issued by the Agenzia delle Entrate, and being an EU citizen does not exempt you from needing one.
The steps in detail
Each of these is a full guide: what it is, what you need, how long it takes and what it costs.
Other places and situations
Approdo provides information, not legal or tax advice. Where a step legally requires a professional, we say so and point you to one.